Porter revealed that the couple separated eight months ago but have kept the news secret.

Their stormy relationship hit the headlines in November when police were called to their London home over a drunken fight.

The couple married in August 2001 and have a two-year-old daughter, Honey.

"Dan and I have broken up. We separated eight months ago, but have tried to keep it quiet," Porter told the Daily Mail, describing her marriage to the Toploader guitarist as "the hardest thing I've ever done".

"I've not a single bad word to say about Dan because he's a lovely guy and a great dad, but he's not the right person for me. It's not sad. We have a good friendship and a lovely baby. No-one died. Life moves on."

Porter, 33, said the couple had rushed into marriage too quickly.

"We had been together only six months when we married. I think we went into it without thinking things through," she admitted.

The presenter, currently hosting Living TV's Dead Famous, told how she suffered from crippling post-natal depression after Honey's birth.

"I was euphoric when I was with Honey. But generally I felt inadequate. I felt as if I'd done everything wrong and I couldn't stop crying. It was rotten for Dan. Had I been him, I would have left me years ago," she said.

As recently as last month, Porter was insisting that her relationship with Hipgrave was "back on" after a troubled year.

In November, the former children's TV presenter dialled 999 during a drunken row at their north London home.

She later explained: "We were at home, and after we had put Honey to bed, we started drinking wine, just a couple of bottles, and we both got drunk and things got out of hand.

"I can be quite fiery when I'm upset, but he didn't hit me, as the papers have reported. We were shouting and I dialled 999, but then I hung up. Then the police did a trace on my call and called me back, so I told them I had made a mistake. But we're 100% fine now."